It is not hard to find an individual in society who takes advantage of another, only to desert them when they can no longer reap their benefits. In the incredibly thought provoking short story, “Metamorphosis”, by Franz Kafka, Gregor Samsa, an overworked traveling salesman who is the sole provider for his family, awakens one morning only to discover he has transformed into a disgusting vermin. Gregor’s treatment by his family before and after his transformation reveals his continuous alienation, while the way his family then perceives him, and the way Gregor perceives himself, showcases the significant identity crisis that Gregor faces throughout. The alienation that Gregor faces throughout “Metamorphasis” sadly starts far before his transformation. As the sole provider for his parents and younger sister Grete, Gregor wakes up early every morning for work and is often out of town on business; a truly overworked proletariat. After Gregor knows he has transformed into a bug, he lies in bed and thinks, “What a strenuous career it is that I’ve chosen! Travelling day in and day out…there’s the curse of travelling, worries about making train connections, bad and irregular food, contact with different people all the time so that you never get to know anyone or become friendly with them. It can all go to Hell!”(68). Gregor’s prior life as a traveling salesman kept him isolated from the outside world, and from being his own person. He was virtually trapped in a bubble of work, and so consumed by every last detail about it that he expresses not the slightest fear or shock when he is aware of his transformation. Gregor, of course, does not enjoy living his life that way, but does so selflessly for his family, who physically isolate him from themselves when they become aware of his new appearance. As Gregor’s father condemns him to his room, “[he] seized the chief clerk’s